Time Off
by Firesword
Summary: Oneshot. PostVoldemort. Slash. HPSS. It isn't fair for Harry to be babysitting alone. On the last day, he leaves Severus with the triplets with no intention of helping him care for them.


Okay, the scenes actually occurred to me last night ... but they were in picture modes. Hehehe. So I created a 'plot' so that the pictures in my head would make sense. I really wish I could draw them out, but my talent as an artist is severely nil. Lol. Anyways, here's a bit of Harry and Severus! Hehehe. I'm happy, despite that the laptop's gone.

**Fandom: **Harry Potter

**Fic Title: **Time Off

**Author: **Firesword

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and its characters belong to JK Rowling and so on. I only own the muse. I'd only earn smiles and sighs of contentment (hopefully) through this.

**Summary: **One-shot. Post-Voldemort. Slash. HP/SS. It isn't fair for Harry to be baby-sitting alone. On the last day, he leaves Severus with the triplets with no intention of helping him care for them.

**Rating: **Red Flame or Mature (to be safe)

**Author's Notes: **Will I ever be tired of writing this sort of genre? Hehehe. Anyways, overall feeling is somewhat AU, and Harry and Severus are already in a relationship...

**TIME OFF**

**by Firesword**

The din created by three of Ron and Hermione's children was enough to make a grown adult faint. However, fainting on the spot would only bring disaster to himself, and this home that he and Severus had built with great love and care.

"Bryan, Frederick! Roland! That's enough!" Harry Potter said loudly while rubbing at his temples. "Come on, guys. You're no longer toddlers. You're big enough to go to a primary school already."

Roland, the oldest of the triplets, looked up at him through curly, red forelocks. He released his brothers' hair and came forward, before sitting down in front of Harry.

"Then why aren't we in school?" Roland Weasley asked curiously.

_Ooops. _Harry blinked and looked at the three children blankly. "Well, you're special. You can't go to a school like most of the children of your age."

"Why?" Frederick, or maybe it was Bryan, asked.

"Because you're special," Harry said again with a weak smile. He made a vague gesture with his hand, and the triplets gasped when drawing blocks and color pencils appeared on the floor.

"Uncle Harry! How did you do that?"

He only smiled. "Come, let's learn about graphs and representation today."

While he taught the three young boys, a small part of his mind wandered off. One of the triplets might have sensed that he was not really concentrating and he had started distracting the two of his siblings. Before long, the triplets were engaged in another mock-battle with each other.

_Severus, you should be here, _Harry wailed in the silence of his mind. _How could you leave me alone with the three of them for a whole week?_

He did not like to be so harsh on them, but his nerves were already strained past their limit.

_Silencio._ He cast that spell without any gestures or hand movements, and then sat down on his chair by the window. "Be good now, and do your work." He sighed and stared out the window. _Three more days... How in the hell did Ron and Hermione manage the three of them, plus the little one? Perhaps it's the presence of Lawrence that makes them behave. Hmmmm..._

He ignored the loud thud of something falling.

_Severus, I hate you._

**-oOooOOooOo-**

It was the last day that Harry would be taking care of Roland, Frederick, Bryan, and Hermione and Ron would be coming over in the evening to collect their children.

Harry brushed his hair and reveled in the peaceful silence of morning. It was early, and the children would not be waking up so soon. It felt good, to pamper himself like this, but then he felt something familiar.

_Severus. _He arched his eyebrow.

The front door opened with a creak and then it closed quietly. Then footsteps were heard in the hallway, and they were getting louder by the second.

Harry did not look away from the mirror, and continued to brush his thick, black mane.

"I'm home," the Potions master said softly.

"Hmmmm. Welcome back," Harry said in a bored tone of voice.

"You are angry?"

Harry looked at Severus using the mirror, and narrowed his eyes as his lover stepped into the bedroom and closed the door quietly. The lock turned and Harry could not help but snort quietly to himself.

_You think you can make up for the headaches I've suffered this week with sex? A hot, fulfilling, gratifying one? _He snorted again. _Not this time, Severus._

"Harry?" Severus came to stand behind his chair and caressed the top of his head gently. "You know I had to go for the convention."

"Yeah, I know. But you could have told me earlier _when_ the convention was going to be held." He willed himself not to _respond_ in any manner to the gentle touches that Severus was giving him. However, if he were to remain seated, those caresses would make him lose his determination.

He set down his brush on the counter and stood up, gracefully pulling his shoulder away from the hand reaching for him.

"How could you just leave me like that, and with a bloody note only?" he asked with an expressionless face. "You know me better than anyone - how could I handle the three of them on my own?"

"Love, I'm sorry," Severus said tiredly.

"Apologizing is not enough, Severus," Harry muttered coldly. He walked up to the wardrobe and quickly grabbed a cloak. "If you're really sorry, you will take care of them today, without me. I'm going out."

"Harry! But I am-"

He touched the keyhole of the bedroom door briefly and unlocked it with magic. Harry put on his boots and walked out of their cottage.

"Uncle Harry? Where are you going?"

He paused and looked over his shoulder. Frederick was looking at him via a window of the guest-room.

"I have something to attend to, Frederick," Harry said loudly. "Go back to bed. Uncle Severus will look after you today."

"Oh. Okay." Young Frederick yawned and closed the window. Harry saw the young boy climbing back to bed.

As he walked down the path to the woods, he smiled to himself. "Have a pleasant day, Severus." He chuckled softly as he wove his way through the oak trees.

**-oOooOOooOo-**

Harry was thoroughly enjoying himself. All morning, he had slept in an inn, and he had treated himself to an exquisite lunch in a restaurant not too far from the inn. Then he had taken walks and did a bit of window-shopping. Now that it was tea-time, he had entered a cafe with nostalgic decor for a cup of tea.

_Oh crap._ He froze, with his cup centimeters away from his lips.

Roland, Frederick and Bryan had just run past the window of the cafe. The sound of cheerful laughter soon invaded the sleepy atmosphere of the room as the triplets rushed toward Harry.

"Uncle Harry! Hide us!"

"Hurry!"

With no knowledge of what was going on, Harry simply watched as Frederick and Bryan squeezed themselves under the window-ledge, while Roland hid behind his chair. Several moments later, Severus appeared, and Harry smirked at his annoyed expression.

Quickly, before Severus noticed him, he schooled his expression into one of absolute calmness. He took a small sip of his tea, and studied Severus serenely. He knew that Severus would feel his gaze, and true enough, his lover turned slowly.

His stomach flipped a little as he met Severus' obsidian eyes and felt his cheeks becoming a bit hot under the direct gaze.

_Why can't I stay seriously mad at him?_ He fidgeted slightly in his seat. When Severus strode toward the entrance of the cafe, he lowered his eyes in relief and looked at the twins hiding beneath the ledge.

"Brace yourself. Uncle Severus is coming in," he warned the triplets softly.

"Oh no..."

"What in Slytherin's name are you doing?" Severus hissed.

Black robes flurried before Harry suddenly, and Severus pulled Frederick and Bryan from under the niche by their ears. Harry winced inwardly at the way he was handling them.

_It should be all right ... since Mrs. Weasley does that to them on weekends._

"You should be like your father more, and not like those rascals you have for uncles," he heard Severus mutter. "And you, Roland! You are the eldest! Take on more responsibility over your brothers' safety. Just because we are living in peaceful conditions, you can throw away caution, and run about as you please!"

_Okay, it's time for me to make my exit._ Without being noticed, Harry quietly stood up and moved away. Severus did not make any movements nor did he attempt to speak to Harry - he was still busy lecturing the triplets. He gave the owner of the cafe a little wave before exiting, and then he stopped before the huge window.

Severus was looking around for something; looking for him, probably. _He wants to give me a lecture too?_ Harry laughed, and then grinned when Severus finally spotted him.

"Obnoxious brat." He saw Severus' lips moving and laughed again. He waved jauntily and Apparated away immediately.

"That was fun." He laughed some more, and headed toward the secret lodge. Severus' secret lodge. Harry spent some time sitting on his favorite boulder and rested his eyes on the beautiful fauna surrounding the place. The sharp crack of a twig snapping brought him out of his reverie and he cheerfully got down from the rock. "I guess it's time for me to get everything ready."

**-oOooOOooOo-**

The dining table looked quite pretty and Harry congratulated himself over the small feast he had managed to prepare. He was about to strike a match to light up the candles when something in his pocket started to grow hot.

"What the-" He thrust one hand into his pocket and muttered an oath as his fingers found the culprit. Between his fingers was the special DADA coin. Hermione had tampered with it again, of course. This time, whenever it grew hot, Harry was to make a Fire-call immediately.

He knelt before the fireplace and muttered the incantation. In a matter of seconds, he found himself looking out of the hearth of his home.

"Oi, you. Where in the hell did you bring my boys to?" Ron suddenly appeared. He was grinning quite madly.

"Not me, Ron. Severus had gone down to the cafe with them," Harry said with an evil chuckle.

"What? Harry, are you mad? Giving my precious children to that evil bat?"

"Ronald."

Harry saw a hand swatting at Ron's head and he laughed at Ron's chagrined expression. "Don't worry about them, Ron. It's punishment."

"Punishment? Oh, they are so in trouble those three," Harry heard Hermione's determined mumble. "By the way, Harry, punishment for who?"

"What?" Ron looked up at something.

"Severus, of course. He left me to take care of your triplets all alone."

"Oh, I see," Hermione giggled.

"When Severus comes home with your children, tell him I'm waiting at the lodge, and remind him to charm our house before he leaves," Harry told his friend.

"Provided that he wants to, Harry," Hermione said cheerfully.

"I know." Harry ended the charm and looked at the smoking fireplace. "He'll come." And he smiled.

**-oOooOOooOo-**

He was sitting on the window-seat, watching the path leading up to the lodge with a soft smile on his lips. Dinner was ready and the candles were lit. And now, all he had left to do was to wait for his lover to come.

_Could I be wrong? _Harry asked himself. _He might not ... to pay me back. _He sighed and shook his head a little. A flyaway hair got into his eye and he absently pulled it back. "Hmmmm..." He brushed his long hair with his fingers in a preoccupied manner.

Crack!

He jumped and blinked. A dark figure was standing on the path, and he was straightening his robes.

"Severus." The name slipped from his lips and he gazed lovingly at the man walking up the path. _He came. _He swung his legs over the bench and opened the door to welcome his lover.

Severus' expression was blank and he was not smiling, but at least his eyes were glowing softly with emotion.

"Come in. You must be tired," Harry said softly, and stepped aside to let Severus enter. He quickly charmed the door and reached out to help remove Severus' outer cloak.

"Thank you," Severus mumbled as Harry carefully hung his cloak on the clothes rack.

"I've cooked dinner." Harry took his lover's hand and their fingers interlaced almost immediately. "Let's eat." He looked up at the taller wizard and smiled at a brief nod.

Dinner was eaten in silence, but for some reason, they were exchanging meaningful looks too many times to be disregarded. Harry set his fork and knife down beside his plate and stared unblinkingly at Severus.

"I'd also made some dessert. Would you like to have it now?" He stood up, carefully pushing his chair back. Severus too stood up. Harry paused and tilted his head to one side, looking at Severus inquiringly.

"It can wait," Severus murmured, stepping forward and taking Harry's hands in his.

Harry blushed and squeezed Severus' hands gently. "I'm sorry about today," he mumbled.

"You needed a break. It is all right." Severus leaned forward and dropped a kiss on his forehead.

Standing like this before Severus was making him weak and slightly flustered. His heart was pounding hard in his chest and he was hot all over. Shyly, he looked up.

Severus was smiling, although rather faintly, but his eyes were so gentle, so loving.

"Welcome back," Harry whispered.

"I'm glad to be back." Severus' eyes fell shut, and Harry closed his as well. "I've missed you."

"Mmmmm..." Harry moaned softly as Severus' arms tightened around him and a hot, passionate tongue probed around his mouth.

Harry grew more feverish with each passing second and he felt so weak. He was clinging desperately to Severus; his legs were about give way at any moment. As though sensing this, Severus pulled away and gave him an odd look that took his breath away.

"Severus!" he gasped as Severus swept him off his feet and carried him to the huge bed at the other end of the room. "What about dessert?" he asked in a hushed tone, his face red with embarrassment.

"I'm not hungry for that now," Severus whispered.

Gently, Harry was laid down on the bed, and then Severus had settled down on him quite familiarly.

"I really miss you," Severus whispered in his ear and Harry stiffened at the teasing swipe along his neck. "I should not have left for the convention ... being stuck home with you and the little brats would be more rewarding. I was bored out of my skull listening to their nonsensical babbling..."

"N-nonsensical b-babbling?" Harry groaned as one of Severus' hands slipped under his shirt. "How could you say that?"

"I could not understand them ... I was thinking about you all the time..."

"Then it's not their fault-! Ah!"

"Hmmmm ... let's stop talking..."

"Uhmmmm ... okay." Harry nodded, and breathed shallowly as Severus began to plant kisses down his throat and chest.

**-oOooOOooOo-**

**... The End ... I suppose...**


End file.
